Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 382 The destruction of the Eastern Depot, it's all time to end it all.

Inside the main hall of the East Palace, crimson palace lanterns hung from the beams of golden nanmu wood, casting a dim and ambiguous glow throughout the room.

The prince leaned back on the peony-patterned couch, his fingers sinking deep into the snow-white, proud skin of the beauty beside him.

The woman's eyes welled with tears from the pain, but she only dared to let out a soft "hmm" and nestled closer to him, becoming even more submissive.

"Your Highness, please have some..."

Twelve dancers, dressed only in light gauze, held jade cups in their hands, their slender fingers appearing as if sculpted from crystal under the shimmering light.

They took turns kneeling to offer the prince the fine wine, and as the wine slid down the prince's lips, a fragrant tongue would immediately wipe it away.

The gilded water clock at the corner of the palace dripped softly, and the prince, amidst the sweet scent of cosmetics, squinted his drunken eyes.

In a daze, he seemed to see Lin Qinghan among the group of dancers—but why was she wearing such a revealing gauze dress?

This prince must be drunk... hahahahaha.

He laughed loudly and threw his wine cup at the gilded pillar, the sound of it shattering startling the birds and butterflies in the hall.

No one dared to remind the Crown Prince that at that moment, the Eastern Depot's elite guards had quietly surrounded the palace.

"what--!"

Suddenly, a series of shrill screams came from outside the hall, followed by hurried, chaotic footsteps.

The prince, who was resting his head on the beauty's jade-like legs, was startled and trembled violently in his drunken haze.

"A bunch of bastards!"

He angrily shoved the woman beside him, staggered to his feet, and his golden crown hung askew in his disheveled hair.

"Which ignorant lackey dares to disturb my refined pleasure?"

The crown prince suddenly grabbed the gilded wine pot from the table and smashed it hard towards the palace gate.

He roared fiercely, "Guards! Seize these ignorant fools!"

The candlelight inside the hall flickered violently, casting twelve long white shadows onto the vermilion hall doors, resembling twelve death banners.

The brocade robes of these eunuchs from the Eastern Depot were blindingly white, with python patterns embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs, appearing and disappearing in the blood mist.

Behind them, hundreds of axemen stood silently like iron towers.

The blood-stained Embroidered Spring Blade continued to drip blood, and on the golden and jade ground, one after another, bewitching blood flowers bloomed.

"Hahaha... It's you... the lackeys of the Eastern Depot?"

The prince suddenly burst into hysterical laughter and staggered out from the crowd of beauties.

His golden crown was askew, his hair was disheveled, and the belt of his dark yellow python robe had come undone, revealing a snow-white undergarment stained with wine.

Enraged, the prince kicked over the gilded wine table in front of him, and the priceless "luminous cup" smashed to the ground, shattering into countless fragments.

"Open your dog eyes and see clearly!"

"I am the Crown Prince of the Great Yu Kingdom! The future Emperor!"

The prince's eyes were bloodshot and his lips were twisted into a ferocious arc.

"Even if that old dog from your Eastern Depot came in person, he would have to kneel down and speak to me!"

Just then, the sound of armor clanging suddenly came from outside the hall, and hundreds more swordsmen and axemen arrived, completely surrounding the hall entrance.

Through the wide-open palace gates, one could see that all the guards of the Eastern Palace had fallen into pools of blood.

The prince's pupils suddenly contracted, and as he staggered backward, he knocked over a beautiful woman, but he was completely unaware of it.

Because at this moment, he finally saw clearly that the man in the white robe at the head of the group was holding a bright yellow scroll.

"No...this is impossible..."

The crown prince's voice suddenly became hoarse, his Adam's apple bobbing violently: "How could Father... how could he allow you, these dogs of the Eastern Depot..."

Cao Er's lips curled into a ferocious smile as he slowly unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand.

The sound of the unfurling silk scroll was teeth-grinding and particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, proclaims—"

Cao Er's voice suddenly became unusually loud, each word scraping against the prince's eardrums like a dull knife.

"The Crown Prince is inherently vicious and unruly, and has become even more so recently. He not only forms cliques and engages in corrupt practices in the court, but also keeps assassins in the palace..."
He harbored treacherous intentions, plotting to assassinate his father….

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince suddenly sprang to his feet, but was firmly pinned down to the dragon-patterned pillar by Cao Jin and Cao Haosheng.

He could only stare, his eyes wide with fury, at the bright red jade seal at the end of the edict.

It was the very Imperial Seal of the State that he had longed for day and night.

"...He shall be immediately deposed as crown prince and given a pot of poisoned wine."

The moment Cao Er slowly closed the imperial edict, the crown prince was struck dumb, his face turning ashen.

A foul-smelling liquid seeped from the hem of his python robe, staining the white marble floor.

"Father, Your Majesty... No! Your son knows he was wrong, he really knows he was wrong!"

The prince suddenly burst into a heart-wrenching wail, his face contorted beyond recognition, tears streaming down his face.

He writhed wildly like a dying maggot, his golden crown falling to the ground and being deformed by his own frantic trampling.

"Your son will never dare to do it again... Please spare my life... Please spare my life!"

Unfortunately, no matter how much the Crown Prince struggled, Cao Jin and Cao Haosheng's hands remained unmoved.

This once high-ranking crown prince is now like a fish nailed to a chopping board, all his struggles are in vain.

His piercing cries echoed in the empty East Palace Hall, mingling with the approaching footsteps outside.

That was a eunuch carrying a cup of poisoned wine, slowly approaching.

"Your Highness, we are merely acting on imperial orders. May you have a safe journey..."

Cao Er stepped forward slowly, his boots rolling over the scattered imperial seals on the ground.

He looked down at the former crown prince, a cruel pleasure gleaming in his eyes.

The once high and mighty crown prince now lay limp on the ground like a stray dog, tears and snot streaming down his once arrogant face.

"What are you two waiting for?"

Cao Er's cold voice echoed in the hall, "Send His Highness the Crown Prince on his way."

Upon hearing this, Cao Jin's right hand suddenly emitted an invisible aura.

The powerful energy coiled around the prince's body like a venomous snake, instantly freezing him in place.

The prince's mouth began to open uncontrollably, and a "hoarse" sound came from his throat, but he didn't even have the strength to bite his tongue and commit suicide.

The old eunuch slowly stepped forward, holding a gilded wine pot, and his withered fingers pried open the prince's jaw.

The pot of poisonous wine, with its eerie purple hue, shimmered with a bewitching light in the firelight.

With a series of gulping sounds, the prince's eyes widened.

The final reflection was of Cao Er's somewhat complicated face.

The poisoned wine bestowed by the emperor was indeed extremely potent; within just two breaths of swallowing it, the prince's face was already contorted and deformed.

His eyes bulged out, and his bloodshot eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

The crown prince stared intently at the dragon-patterned ceiling of the palace, as if trying to find a last glimmer of hope amidst the carved beams and painted rafters.

"Hehe..."

Finally, the prince let out a hissing sound like a broken bellows, his muscles tensed like iron, and his ten fingers scratched several bloody marks on the white marble floor.

Thick, black blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices, leaving hideous marks on his pale face, and even the python robe symbolizing the Crown Prince was soaked in the filthy blood.

The most terrifying thing was the prince's eyes, which he refused to close until his death.

In those gradually widening pupils, an unbelievable despair was frozen.

How could he believe that his father, who once held him as a child and admired the flowers in the Imperial Garden, would actually bestow this cup of poison today?
Cao Er stared coldly at the gradually stiffening corpse of the crown prince on the ground, his eyes twitching almost imperceptibly.

Your Majesty... he can so swiftly and decisively order the death of even his own flesh and blood.

This ruthlessness made the hairs on the back of Cao Er's neck stand on end.

Thinking of this, Cao Er's eyes became extremely heavy. He silently repeated to himself, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty. Because, at this moment, Cao Er knew better than anyone else—from the moment he received this imperial edict, he had already embarked on a path of no return.

If the emperor wanted to use the Eastern Depot to get rid of the crown prince, how could he leave any survivors to cause controversy?
This deep palace, seemingly calm at this moment, has in fact already laid a trap.

Cao Er's right hand unconsciously caressed the gilded token at his waist, the four characters "Eastern Depot Chief Censor" flickering in the candlelight.

"Let's go."

He spoke in a hoarse voice to the guards behind him, his voice so dry it sounded like his own: "It's time to report back."

The moonlight outside the palace was as pale as paper, casting a cold, eerie glow on the bluestone slabs of the palace path.

Cao Er's every step on the palace bricks was exceptionally heavy, and his gilded official boots gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

He had walked this palace path leading to the Imperial Palace countless times, but never before had he felt as if every step he took was on the tip of a knife as he did today.

Oh.……

Cao Er's lips curled into a cold smile, and his fingers, hidden in his sleeve, twitched slightly.

Even ants try to survive, let alone Cao Er?

Having guessed that this was a dead end, how could he have been completely unprepared?

Then, Cao Er glanced at the Eastern Depot agents lined up behind him out of the corner of his eye, and he knew exactly what was going on.

Among these seemingly respectful figures were both spies of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and trapped beasts who, like him, sensed the approaching death.

At this moment, everyone appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, they each harbored their own ulterior motives, waiting for the right moment to pave their own path to survival by sacrificing their comrades' lives.

As they passed through Yuwu Gate, Cao Er kept scheming in his mind, his right thumb already subtly touching the smoke bomb in his sleeve.

This thing is specially made by the Eastern Depot. Once detonated, it can cause chaos for half a quarter of an hour.

The lanterns on the palace wall suddenly shook violently, casting grotesque and distorted shadows of everyone.

Cao Er squinted, looking at the Imperial Guards' armor that was faintly visible around the corner ahead.

Sure enough, His Majesty didn't even bother with the pretense.

Clang! ! !
The ear-piercing sound of metal scraping against metal ripped through the night sky as the imperial guards suddenly surged out from all directions.

Under the moonlight, countless cold blades were drawn simultaneously, their shimmering light forming a blinding silver wave that made it impossible to open one's eyes.

"What do you want to do?"

Just as someone in the Eastern Depot's ranks was shouting a question, the voice abruptly stopped.

A brocade dagger had emerged from his back, and the one wielding it was none other than his colleague with whom he spent every day.

Only then did everyone realize that there were so many secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the ranks!
"Run!"

Someone shouted, and the once orderly line instantly broke apart.

Some people panicked and crashed into the palace wall, only to be impaled by crossbow bolts shot down from the top of the wall.

Some tried to draw their swords in resistance, but were instantly pierced by several spears.

Some, with bloodshot eyes, pushed their comrades toward the pursuers, sacrificing others' lives for a moment's respite.

Cao Er stood still, letting the chaotic crowd rush past him.

He stared intently at the figure slowly approaching from ahead—the sword in the hand of Shen Wanbao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was dripping with the blood of a spy from the Eastern Depot.

The next moment, twelve cold lights were drawn simultaneously. Cao Er and the remaining eunuchs of the Eastern Depot were of one mind, without uttering a single wasted word or hesitating for a moment.

In such a critical moment, hesitation means certain death.

Cao Er sidestepped, and his short blade precisely pierced the throat of the imperial guard who was rushing towards him, splattering warm blood all over his face.

Immediately, out of the corner of Cao Er's eye, he saw Cao San being pierced through the heart by a sword from the Qinglong Town Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Torches suddenly lit up the palace wall, and Cao Er's heart skipped a beat—those were archers from the Divine Soldiers Battalion.

"His Majesty's oral decree!!!"

A piercing imperial edict shattered the night sky as Shen Wanbao held a gilded imperial edict, his feet treading on a pool of blood.

A bright yellow silk scroll was unfurled in the firelight, its vermilion ink brushstrokes as sharp as blood: "Cao Er and his accomplices from the Eastern Depot plotted rebellion and attempted to harm the Crown Prince. Their crimes are unforgivable! They are to be executed immediately... without mercy!"

"Fire arrows!"

No sooner had Shen Wanbao’s imperial decree fallen than arrows rained down from the top of the wall.

Cao Er rolled amidst the rain of arrows, his left shoulder pierced by a bullet at some unknown time. He grinned maliciously and tore off a piece of his clothing to wrap the wound.

It seems that His Majesty not only wants the Crown Prince to die, but also wants the Eastern Depot to bear the blame for the Crown Prince's murder!

"What a brilliant... two birds with one stone!"

Cao Er coughed up blood and looked to his side. Of the original twelve bodyguards of the Eastern Depot, only four remained.

The palace gates were so close, yet they were blocked by an iron shield formation.

Shen Wanbao's sword was stained red, and he was leading the Imperial Guards to surround them.

In an instant, Cao Er yanked the smoke bomb off his waist and slammed it to the ground. With a muffled thud, thick smoke instantly enveloped the entire palace passageway.

"Go!" Five dark figures darted toward the side door like ghosts.

Cao Er was the first to retreat. When he turned around, he saw a bodyguard behind him being cleaved in two by Shen Wanbao's sword.

He gritted his teeth, but didn't even have time to be afraid before turning and disappearing into the thick smoke.

Shen Wanbao slowly sheathed his sword, and the flickering aura on the blade vanished like a fleeting moment.

He gazed at the corner of the palace wall where Cao Er and the others had disappeared, a subtle, unfathomable meaning flashing in his eyes.

"Want to escape?"

Shen Wanbao's voice, like a persistent boil, echoed faintly in the night.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the palace wall, his robes fluttering, his eyes as cold as ice.

"No one in the world has ever escaped from my grasp."

Cao Er, running at the front, had bloodshot eyes and his aura erupted wildly. "Charge!" he shouted.

The four bodyguards behind him had long since abandoned all pretense of decorum, pushing their lightness skills to the limit as they darted between the palaces and pavilions.

No matter how they maneuvered, there was always a squad of Imperial Guards blocking their way, as if the entire imperial city had become a prison!

call out!
A black iron arrow pierced through the air and instantly pierced the chest of a bodyguard!

Blood splattered, and before the man could even scream, he fell like a kite with a broken string.

Cao Er was terrified, but dared not turn back. He could only roar hoarsely, "Split up!"

However, at the very moment he leaped towards the palace wall—

"I told you, you can't escape."

Zheng!
A streak of blue light, like a celestial being descending from the heavens, traced a poignant arc under the moonlight.

That sword strike was so fast it transcended time; everyone only saw a flash of blue light before their eyes, and then the world fell silent.

Cao Er's pupils suddenly contracted.

He slowly lowered his head and saw a thin line of blood, as fine as a hair, gradually appearing on his chest.

The three bodyguards beside him also stood frozen, each with a striking blue mark on their throat and chest.

Cao Er wanted to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his upper body slowly slid down along the bloodline.

His internal organs poured out with a splash, steaming hot in the moonlight.

The bodies of the three bodyguards split open simultaneously, their severed limbs and remains falling silently to the ground like withered flower petals.

Shen Wanbao sheathed his sword, and the moment the azure sword light faded, the palace fell silent once more.

The moonlight, like water, shone on those still convulsing, mangled bodies.

The commander of the Imperial Guard turned and walked into the shadows: "Drag him to the dogs."

"The Eastern Depot, it's all time to end this."

(End of this chapter)